Dazed Romance
by peetamllrk
Summary: A fire alarm woke Katniss up. She is annoyed and tired. She thinks that it's probably the worst thing that can happen on a Wednesday night when she unexpectedly meets Gale. This is one of my first fanfics so some feedback is appreciated:)
1. Chapter 1

A loud beeping wakes me up. I check my clock. It wasn't my alarm that's beeping. The sound sounds like it's coming from the building. I go outside my door to check. Sure enough, some idiot pulled the fire alarm.  
I can't focus on anything. The fire alarm is making me bat-shit insane. It's not stopping. Looks like I'll have to get up.  
I hastily throw on a pair of pants, and make my way to the door, gathering up Prim and my mother. Who knows? Maybe this isn't a drill.  
The apartment hallway stinks of sweat, as usual. We make our way down the crowded stairs. It's so annoying. I can't wait to find out the asshole that accidentally pulled the fire alarm. Or set the building on fire. Whatever.  
I look at the dazed people in the lobby. They were sleeping too, apparently. It's so weird to see my neighbours in their pyjamas. Who would've know Rue wore a Beyoncé shirt to sleep?  
I need some air. There's simply too much people here. I try to squeeze my way to the (hopefully) less crowded hallway when I bump into him.  
He has dark brown eyes and hair. His eyes are so alert, you probably wouldn't have guessed it's 3 am by looking at him. His hair is messy in a cute way. He is wearing a plain white T-shirt and boxers. I really shouldn't be staring at him, but he catches my gaze and it's too late to stop.  
"What are you looking at?" He asks.  
I blush. I really don't know what I should say in a situation like this. I'm thinking about just walking away and hope to never run into him again when he introduces himself.  
"I'm Gale Hawthorne."  
"Um... I'm Katniss Everdeen?"  
"Well, Catnip," he says, "didn't your mother ever tell you to look where you're going?"  
"Sorry." I say lamely. I almost want to smack myself in the face. There's a super hot dude in his boxers talking to me and all I say is sorry?  
"My name is Katniss." I add. He probably didn't hear me properly in this loud hallway full of people. Can this get any worse?  
Gale smiles. Suddenly, being awake at 3 am because of a false fire doesn't seem so bad anymore.  
I smile back at him. When was the last time I smiled? I've been so stressed out lately. It feels good to smile at him. I can't believe I'm smiling at a stranger I just met.  
"Um... Do you want to go somewhere where we can talk without having to shout?"  
I sort of do. The hallway is loud and crowded, but I'd like to get to know Gale.


	2. Chapter 2

I spot a janitor's closet a few meters to our right. "How about we go in there?" I ask, before realizing what I just implied. "Um.. I mean, there's probably no one there. It'll give us breathing space."  
Damn it, I'm so awkward.  
"Sure." He winks at me.  
He opens the door for me. What a gentleman. In the closet, it's quiet and dark, with a light scent of detergent.  
"So..." I said, unsure. What are you supposed to say to a guy at 3 am in the morning anyway? "Where do you live?" I ask.  
"Apartment 304," he says, "what about you?"  
"412."  
I shift uncomfortably. I really have no idea what to do now. Gale runs his hand through his hair. Apparently, he is feeling the same thing. This is bad. I really like him. I honestly don't think that I can just announce that to a stranger. Truth is, I enjoy his company. If that fire alarm was real, we'd probably be stuck outside for at least a few hours. If it wasn't, I would most likely never see him again.  
A bunch of peacekeepers burst in through the door. "What are you guys doing here?" One of them shouts. "There's a freaking fire in the building! Get outside NOW!"  
I flinch. I didn't actually expect that there's an actual fire. Thought it would all blow over in a few minutes. Well, at least I get to spend more time with Gale. I'm also grateful for the distraction. Hopefully I'll think of something to say to him on the way outside.  
I shiver in the chilly air. All I'm wearing is a tank top and shorts, not exactly the best clothing choice when it's November. It's less condensed here, so there's not even the advantage of extra body heat of many people.  
"Do you play any sports?" He asks. I'm grateful that he thought of something to say before me. There's a reason I don't have much friends in school.  
"I run track, if you count that as a sport." I always do. I'm pretty good at it too. I usually get first place in the 100 m race.  
"Cool." He says.  
I can tell there's something on his mind. I think he's too embarrassed to say it. If it's anything near what I'm thinking, I would die. I just hope so.  
"Have you ever been hunting before?"  
"What?" This conversation just took an interesting turn. "I used to, with my dad, but he died a few years ago, so I don't hunt anymore. It's not the same without him."  
"Oh." I hear disappointment in his voice. "Well, would you like to go with me? You seem fit."  
I blush. I have no idea if that was a compliment, but I'll take it. I guess it has been a long time since I hunted. It might be fun.  
"So, Saturday night ok?"  
"Yeah, sure." I said, trying to hide the giddy feeling. Not sure if it works. Oh well, who cares? I'm going hunting with Gale! I can't wait!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! This chapter is really short, sorry! But I have an idea of the story now. I'll update soon! Please review if you enjoyed this, it will help a lot!

I'm going hunting with Gale. Well, isn't that just great. After I agreed, the tension between us rose. I don't think Gale has anything to say anymore, so I try to engage in conversation.  
"So, do you have any siblings?" I ask.  
"Yeah." He smiles. "Three, actually. They're all younger than me. I love them, bit sometimes they're a mess. Like right now, I was the one who had to get them out of bed!"  
I smile. "I have a sister named Prim. She's a sweetheart and I love her so much."I say. "Don't worry,  
I understand your pain of dealing with younger kids."  
He chuckles. Judging by the way he looks at me, I've said the right thing.  
"Do you want to take them with us?" He asks.  
A dozen answers run through my head, and all of them start with variations of "hell, no!" My sister is hopeless. Last time my dad took her hunting, she wouldn't stop crying.  
"Nah. My sister is afraid of the woods.  
He breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank god. My siblings hate the woods too."  
There is an unspoken silence between us, but I know we're both thinking the same thing. Aside from our siblings, I'm looking forward to spending alone time with him.


	4. Chapter 4

I nervously stand in front of Gale's door as I check the address again. I haven't worked up the courage to knock yet. I don't want to have a repeat of Wednesday night, when I just met him and it was awkward. Back then, my hair and clothes were a mess. I was very intrigued by him, even with his rumpled shirt and boxers.

I struggle to think of something to say that isn't creepy or weird. This is harder than I thought. Last night, I did some research and looked for stuff to say during a first date. Well, this isn't a first date, but I'm sure as hell treating it as one. Anyways, that site was full of shit. They told me to start the conversation with a "what do you look for in a girl?" Well, I guess a dating website isn't the best resource for conversation starters.  
Gale suddenly bursts through the door. "What are you doing here?"  
So much for not being awkward. "I- um.. I just.. I was just about to knock on your door, you know, so we can go hunting."  
"Oh. I was just about to go to YOUR house."  
"Whatever. Let's just go." I said, without knowing where we're actually going.  
"I know a forest a few miles from here. It's an hour drive, but don't worry. It'll be worth it. That forest is amazing." He said, as if reading my thoughts.

Gale's car was messier than I imagined. For a guy like him, I pictured some sort of shiny, neat, and expensive car, but the one he has is messy and rusty. It's very homey in an old-fashioned way. I like it.  
"Sorry I didn't clean the car recently," he stated. "Hop on. I get control of the radio, by the way."  
I smile. His sense of humor is interesting. I'm wondering what kinds of songs he likes anyway.  
I claim my spot in the passenger's seat while he flips to an alternative station. I sneak a glance at him, and he looks content with the song playing. Me too. I'm thinking we might have more in common than I thought.  
"So, you like Bastille?" I ask.  
"Yeah. They're my favourite band."  
We don't talk much during the car ride to the woods. (It distracts him, he says) but when we get to the forest, it takes my breath away.  
The trees are thicker here than any place I have ever seen. Their leaves are green too, my favourite color. We're still pretty far, but I can already hear the familiar rustling of the woods, a sound I haven't heard ever since my father died.  
"Pretty amazing, right? I love this place." He says, as if reminding me he's still there. I'm too busy looking at the view, and I'm running now. I just want to go in.


	5. Chapter 5

Gale is pretty excited to be here too, judging by the way he's grinning from ear to ear.  
"Well, come on!" He waves me over. "This is a tree where I store my bow and arrow, although I prefer setting traps."  
"Wow."  
Although I'm enthusiastic, I can't contain my curiosity.  
"Um... Gale... Why do you have this stuff? It's not like you _need_ to use any of it."  
"Oh, I don't know, but it just feels right, you know? Sometimes I feel like I was born to hunt. Other times I just come here for the fun of it. Either way, I'm not saying I enjoy killing animals, if that's what you mean, but sometimes I sell them for some extra income."  
I totally get him. Sometimes my mother can't fully support our family too.  
"Anyway, do you know the basics?" He asks.  
"Yeah. I've been hunting with my dad before." Back when he was still alive, but I didn't mention that.  
"Okay, I'll take the knives, you get the bow."  
The next few hours are silent as we hunt, trying not to scare the animals away. I enjoy the silence, and it makes me happy, the fact that maybe I've found a friend. Not only just a regular friend for getting drunk with, but I feel like he could be something real. Like, someone I can finally confide in.  
I wish I had the courage to tell him that.  
It turns out I'm much better with a bow than I thought. Even after years of not hunting, I've still got it. My mind picked up the pattern it acquired years ago; breath in, aim, breath out, shoot. It's quite simple, and after a while, I come back with a rabbit and squirrel.  
"I'm proud of you," Gale says, as he skinned the squirrel. "You should come with me more often. Want to go to the Hob with me? It's where I sell these bad boys."  
I can't really think of a reason to say no right now, and I want to spend time with him, so I agree.  
I didn't really know what I expected from the Hob, but this wasn't it. It was well built, but aged. Paint is starting to chip off from the walls, covered in graffiti. It's beautiful, in a way, but it looks very intimidating.  
We sold the rabbit for 20 dollars, which Gale insisted I keep. The bird he caught only sold for 10, but he doesn't seem to be complaining. In fact, he looks very happy. The money's barely worth anything, but I hope he enjoyed spending time with me.  
It's not until I get home that I realized I forgot about the plans with my friends to go to the bar.


End file.
